Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. III. The Eighteenth Century: Addison to Blake

Allan Ramsay (1686–1758)

Extracts from The Tea-Table Miscellany: An Thou Were My Ain Thing

AN THOU were my ain thing,

I would love thee, I would love thee;

An thou were my ain thing

How dearly I would love thee.

Like bees that suck the morning dew,

Frae flowers of sweetest scent and hue,

Sae wad I dwell upon thy mow

And gar the gods envý me.

Sae lang ’s I had the use of light

I ’d on thy beauties feast my sight,

Syne in saft whispers through the night

I ’d tell how much I loved thee.

How fair and ruddy is my Jean!

She moves a goddess o’er the green.

Were I a king thou should be queen—

Nane but myself aboon thee.

I ’ld grasp thee to this breast of mine,

Whilst thou like ivy on the vine

Around my stronger limbs should twine,

Formed handy to defend thee.

Time ’s on the wing and will not stay,

In shining youth let ’s make our hay;

Since love admits of no delay,

O let na scorn undo thee.

While love does at his altar stand

Hae, here ’s my heart, gie me thy hand,

And with ilk smile thou shalt command

The will of him who loves thee.

An thou were my ain thing,

I would love thee, I would love thee;

An thou were my ain thing,

How dearly I would love thee.